Key facts
- Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong defended a salary increase for ministers and lawmakers, citing the need to attract capable leadership.
- The prime minister's annual salary will increase by 64% to S$3.6 million ($2.85 million) starting October 15.
- This makes the Singapore prime minister the highest-paid world leader, surpassing the Hong Kong chief executive and Swiss president.
- U.S. President Donald Trump earns $400,000 annually.
- Opposition leader Pritam Singh agreed with a smaller increment for MPs but questioned the overall strategy for attracting talent.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong defended a significant increase in ministerial and lawmaker salaries, stating it was a necessary and responsible measure to ensure capable political leadership for the future. The salary hike, effective October 15, will see the prime minister's annual pay jump 64% to S$3.6 million ($2.85 million), positioning him as the world's highest-paid leader.
In a parliamentary debate, Wong acknowledged deliberating extensively over the increase, which aims to attract top talent into government. A junior minister's salary can now reach S$1.8 million annually, while lawmakers' monthly pay will rise to S$18,500. The government expects overall spending on political salaries to remain a small fraction of government expenditure and GDP.
Opposition leader Pritam Singh, head of the Workers' Party, expressed agreement with a more modest increment of up to 9% for members of parliament but questioned the broader strategy of high salaries for attracting talent. The salary adjustments, the first since a pay cut in 2012, have generated unease and online criticism, with some deeming the move "tone deaf" given Singapore's median salary of S$5,775 per month in 2025 and persistent core inflation.